The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-04-16
A COTTON FACTORY.
Monroe Possesses Superior Natural Ad
vantascs as a Manufacturing
Center.

Center.
1t has been truly said that the great
ST of natural advantages would not.
If themselves, build up town. This
fac: has been practically illustrated 10
the history Of Monroe. Possessing
advantages of location, climate, health,
wood and water, shipping facilities,
etc., second TO few towns IN the South
and being in the heart of rich agri-
cultural belt of large Dimensions, it has
grown old but remained distressingIy
diminutive, both as regards population
and commercial Importance Properly
utilized these advantages would long
ago have put Monroe on the high road
to wonderful prosperity. OF late,
however, the proper spirit has rnanio
| tested itself in our people, the wheel
of progress has been put in motion and
bright future and u great destiny for
our little city is being unfolded to the
| view Of the most skepticai. This re-
suit has been brought about by the
croaker taking back seat and men OF
energy and enterprise and capital step
! ping to the front. Our natural advan,
tages are showing for themselves and
it is of these that we desire 10 speak.
With them the home readers Of the
Ouachita Telegraph are perfectly fa-
miiiar and it is the eye OF the
| stranger, people seeking new homes,
that this article is written to attract.
Situated cqui-distant between the
cities of Vicksburg and Shreveport on
the Vicksbnrg, Shreveport and Pa :.
cific Railroad and occupying a pro-
minencc on the banks Of a great and
beautiful river, Monroe is picture
fsir to see. Both Vicksburg and
Shreveport are a hundred miles off and
Monroe lays just claims to large
trade on either side extending through
productive regions for fifty miles.
Many numbers of bales Of the fieecy
staple are now brought here from this
source and the shipments are increas-
ing annually. But the greatest of all
our natural advantages is the wonder
fully fertile Valley with plantation
af.er plantation dotting the banks
of tho Ouachita river and those OF
its numerous tributaries north of us.
Thousands of bales of cotton are pro-
duced, but thousands pass our doors
while but Il small percentage of the
crop seeks this, its natural market.
For miles below us, too, there is the
same beautiful aud fertile valley pro-
ducing annually Its thousands OF bales
which Monroe should control aud han,
die but which goes to New Orleans.
| But all this is being changed by the
herculiap efforts of the energetic men
who have recently undertaken the
shaping of the destinles of Monroe.
BY the erection Of the compress Mon
roc was enabled the past year to more
than double its cotton receipts over
the receipts of the year previous. 1t
will double again next year.
But what we most particularly de-
sire to show is that Monroe possesses
great natural advantages as Il manu-
featuring center and that cotton
factory is what we want. Being in
the confer of n large agricultural belt,
tho principal product of which is cot
ton, the staple is at our very doors and
we have all necessary transportation
facilities 10 drain the country for miles
south, east and west OF us and for
hundreds Of miles north of It's.
Cotton mills pay we'll in the North
they pay better il the South. One
would pay handsomely at Monroe.
We must manufacture our own pros
duct aud reap ourselves the golden
harvest. The idea is growing and the
day is dawniug when we shall see our
cotton go from the fields to the loom.
e-s~...-n~...-n.~~
| fYnp pEryNENTs SylyfnS